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Andrea Lopez takes her blood pressure. She belongs to a group of pregnant women that meets every two weeks to learn how to monitor their health and talk about pregnancy-related issues.

Coburn Dukehart/NPR

Andrea Lopez takes her blood pressure. She belongs to a group of pregnant women that meets every two weeks to learn how to monitor their health and talk about pregnancy-related issues.

People with tinnitus hear unpleasant sounds that aren't really there. Doctors can't do much for this chronic ringing in the ears, so it's no surprise that tinnitus patients are often eager to try alternative therapies in search of relief. One promising new approach involves just sitting quietly and listening to the noise.

This week we also talk about the challenge of accessing fresh and healthy foods and a new initiative from the First Lady. She's just announced commitments from several companies to bring more fresh and nutritious food into neighborhoods where it's currently easier to find a Big Mac than a head of lettuce.

 

What's the calorie count on that Big Mac, by the way? Most restaurants that include calorie counts on the menu get them right, according to a new study out of Tufts University. But some are way off â€" in some cases underestimating by almost a day's worth of calories.

Most people would prefer to eat organic food, according to our new poll. But despite concerns over toxins and food miles, most people can't afford the higher price of organics. Who's still firmly in the non-organic aisle? Senior citizens, and those who say it's too hard to find.

Cost is shaping the debate about vaccines as well. While getting shots for some deadly diseases can lower disease rates among the whole population, others may not be as essential. And as some vaccines become quite expensive, the public health benefits of requiring them have become harder to defend.

And finally, six healthy moms for the price of one. In the centering model of prenatal care, expectant mothers meet at a health center as a group several times during the course of their pregnancies. There, they learn about ways to monitor and improve their own health as well as help each other through the ordeal.

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